Is Obama Politicizing Ebola?

President Obama has chosen to make his policy points on Ebola by using the tactics he customarily employs during political campaigns – vilification and straw men – begging the question of whether he is using the Ebola crisis to buttress his own sorry standing with the American people and in the process help Democratic candidates who are being harmed by his tarnished image.

Granted, a White House so thoroughly politicized may not know how to talk in any tongue other than the language of confrontation.

But Obama’s approach to an issue on which he should be unifying the country stands out as particularly incongruous and can perhaps only be explained as a political effort. And the brutally sharp edge to his remarks likely is in part the handiwork of his Ebola coordinator, Ron Klain, who knows politics and not Ebola.

Make no mistake, I think Obama is correct to oppose quarantining health workers when they return from Africa. I agree with his argument that quarantines will damage our ability to send workers there and defeat the Ebola outbreak before it gets here.

But Americans who disagree with me, and with him, have legitimate arguments and rational bases for their concerns that steps short of a quarantine may be an insufficient guarantee that health workers won’t come home and spread the virus. People with opposing views should not be attacked.

But that’s what Obama did during remarks at the White House Wednesday, accusing his opponents of descending into crazed state of fearfulness that he suggested was un-American.

From his speech, delivered surrounded by health care workers who had returned from West Africa:

We don’t run and hide when there’s a problem. Because we don’t react to our fears, but instead, we respond with commonsense and skill and courage. That’s the best of our history — not fear, not hysteria, not misinformation. We react clearly and firmly, even with others are losing their heads. That’s part of the reason why we’re effective. That’s part of the reason why people look to us . . .

America has never been defined by fear. We are defined by courage and passion and hope and selflessness and sacrifice . . .

So I put those on notice who think that we should hide from these problems. That’s not who we are. That’s not who I am. That’s not who these folks are. This is America. We do things differently.

Who, exactly, is being hysterical? Chris Christie? Who is providing misinformation? Why is Obama putting people “on notice?” Why the anger? This is standard Obama acerbic political speech, not remarks about health care.

And some of these men and women have recently returned; others are heading there shortly. But all of them have signed up to leave their homes and their loved ones to head straight into the heart of the Ebola epidemic . . . And we need to call them what they are, which is American heroes. They deserve our gratitude, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and with respect.

Really? Do people who disagree with Obama on Ebola policies not think those who treat Ebola patients are heroes? Only Obama does?

Note the self-promotion in these next comments, Obama’s implicit claim that he is a steady leader while others are losing their heads and “hiding under the covers.”

When I hear people talking about American leadership, and then are promoting policies that would avoid leadership and have us running in the opposite direction and hiding under the covers, it makes me a little frustrated . . .

And it’s . . . our ability to learn from mistakes that are made, and our ability to work through problems that are really complicated, and to see something through, and not lose our heads; to have grace under pressure and apply ourselves with slow, steady effort — the kind that change and progress requires.

I think the only people losing their heads are the victims of ISIS, the Islamist terrorist organization that metastasized in part due to a failure of leadership from Obama.

The president should promote his point of view. But politicizing it in the heat of campaign season, as he appears to be doing, is a disgrace.

Those jackets are rumpled and wrinkled. Don’t they have an iron at the WH? Also, the man standing to Obama’s right, beside the woman in red, is either wearing a jacket that is creased along the bottom length of the sleeve or the seam is on the outside. Are these actual lab coats or costumes?

It’s a shame that he does not get this het up over ISIL/ISIS/the Islamofascists or whatever they are calling themselves these days. He has the mentality of an adolescent…..arguing with no one. Whatever!

I watched Greta last night. She had a discussion with a Military wife. She explained she had no idea what her husband was doing in W. Africa. They are not allowed to discuss even with their loved ones. So yes we all have concern here, but cannot forget our military who were sent to there, to build tents. Hopefully that is all they are doing!

When Barack Obama uses accolades in describing the United States anyone with a brain knows that he does not believe it and anything good about this country he opposes. Nothing about this rings true. He is a despicable man. A slimy demagogue.

Been around a long time—you know I was thinking that last nite–these health workers have been coming back for months now without notice–this epidemic and Docs without Borders etc didn’t just start this. This all seems like a put-up job to me!

“America has never been defined by fear.” Mr. Obama might want to check out the dozens of emails being sent out by his party trying to “scare up” more votes against the Republicans. Fear is a main ingredient in those missives.

Make no mistake, I think Obama is correct to oppose quarantining health workers when they return from Africa. I agree with his argument that quarantines will damage our ability to send workers there and defeat the Ebola outbreak before it gets here.
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Any humanitarian voluntary health care worker who is deterred in their “mission” by a 21 day humanitarian quarantine for their own safety and the safety of their friends, family and the public is not a health care worker worth having.

Chartered planes and good quarantine conditions with qualified medical oversight and care is not yet beyond the reach of our rapidly crumbling nation.

Not sure who said it yesterday, but with the cost of quarantining healthcare workers, it was suggested that the U. S. buy a really nice 5-star and reward the workers with a 21-day quarantine period when they could be monitored and relax. It was also suggested that to achieve this, the time commitment be reduced to commensurate. I thought those pretty good ideas.

I believe it was suggested by someone on this site a few days ago, that putting those people in quarantine on the hospital ships the USA already owns, where they could be kept at sea for 21 days, would be a sensible plan.

The very fact that he feels it necessary to display people in white coats as a set prop only serves to explain his either disdain, or his ignorance as to the knowledge of the informed public.

We are way past being fooled by this charlatan.
His continued attempts to do so should be an indication that he is still either completely clueless or so arrogant that he still thinks he can blindside us.

Did any of you see the photoshopped picture of the Ebola presser with a Muppets character, I think his name is Beaker, assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, inserted? It’s a hoot, was making the Twitter rounds yesterday. Beaker, in case you don’t know, wears a white lab coat. He fit right in with all the sciency guys.

I still think better safe than sorry. Pay the people triple to sit out the 21 days–it might also save their family. They might get MORE volunteers. I highly resent the straw insults of hiding under the covers…how childish. These people–Obama, Klain, and whoever else could not win a HS debate!

I agree. From now on something more civilized besides the tent might help. The bottom line this was ignored by him. Once everyone was terrified of this, he is going to step in now and insult anyone with a concern, or difference of opinion.
The only thing he left out of his little speech, is the fact of the doctor (Prayers to him) walked around the city of N.Y.

Good idea, Star. If you compare paying people to stay home to the huge costs of treating ebola if it is transmitted to anyone else, this makes great sense. Of course, that means the gov’t won’t think of it.

Obolo has gone solo on ebolo. Ebola has become his ’cause celebre’. He refuses to allow anyone to stand on the stage with him. We have not seen or heard from the Surgeon General, Burwell, Klain, HHS, or anyone connected to his administration. It’s all about Obama.

“We are Americans. This is what we do”. How many times has he repeated this phrase? He’s referring to leadership, of course. After six years of utterly failed leadership, Obama is a buffoon – a laughingstock.

Meanwhile, he speaks of bringing infected ebola patients to this country; he has released 37,000 illegal alien criminals from our jails; ordered millions of green cards for illegals; and our borders remain wide open. . Random beheadings are becoming commonplace, and ISIS is winning the PR campaign.

I watched a portion of his “conference” and it was edited somewhat according to the news station to reduce the long pauses between his comments. That said – he was abrasive and dismissive of others. I can tell you for certain – people of all walks of life are concerned about ebola and what could happen – I don’t think it is unreasonable to quarantine, but in exchange for the heroics of medical providers who go to Africa to assist in treatment, I think we have an obligation as a government to insure that they are compensated while they are in quarantine so they do not suffer financially during the quarantine time. If they are going to travel to Africa – they should be made aware of the expectations when they return and every effort should be made to make their return as painless as possible. Any visas for nonmedical providers should be suspended for the time being. We are told that the science does not warrant quarantine, but to be honest – what if someone is out and about and suddenly becomes ill and vomits on a train – isn’t that body fluids and isn’t there a potential for spread. If we lose control over how people move about during the 21 days they would normally be quarantined, that will only increase the likelihood of it spreading. I am normally a calm and nonexcitable person when it comes to lots of things, but ebola has much different ramifications to our population. President Obama is nothing but a political hack. No prior President in my memory going back to Carter was so sensitive to criticism.

Keith, I respect the work you do and I applaud it. However, you cannot continue to ignore concrete evidence that refutes everything you stated above when you’re in agreement with the absolutely devastating policies of the Obama regime.

I posted just a few of the observations, made through actual research of Ebola, made by Dr.Peter Piot, the scientist who actually isolated and named the Ebola virus. His research should not be ignored, as he’s far ahead of the current “conventional wisdom” and hyperbole spewed by said regime currently in power.

“Make no mistake, I think Obama is correct to oppose quarantining health workers when they return from Africa. I agree with his argument that quarantines will damage our ability to send workers there and defeat the Ebola outbreak before it gets here.”

Yet, Samaritan’s Purse seem to have no problem securing the necessary healthcare workers to go to these countries. They don’t even let them travel until after the 21 days. They have been doing this for months and don’t seem to have a problem getting workers there. I don’t know about all of them, but I know for myself, I would be grateful for three weeks of rest after what I am sure is grueling work day in and day out.

The second point is that this flies in the face of what they are requiring of our military. He is concerned about the ability to have healthcare workers want to go if they are burdened with a quarantine. Since the military men and women don’t get to volunteer whether they go to these countries laden with infected Ebola patients, we can just send as many as we want there? To do what? Run and hide under the covers when they are ready to return to the States? Seems pretty hypocritical to me. If these soldiers are not in direct contact with infected people and they are requiring them to undergo quarantine, why shouldn’t we expect the same from those who have direct contact and care of infected patients?

Make up your mind, Obama. Lay out a clear plan that applies to everyone and let people like it or not. But to have differing plans depending on the day or the color of his underwear makes him look silly and weak.

If in six months, the disease seems on the downslide in the Hot Zone and people are routinely adding 21 days to their stints–in a pleasant place–and no new cases are popping up here…then the admin can neener-neener and say we were right. But not now.

Make it a debate about that nice young nurse and those other nice people who have to stay all lonely and bored in their houses because Americans don’t want to get Ebola —

Brought to you by the people who paid someone to write the argument that we need to bring more Ebola patients here besides American citizens because it will look good in international eyes and will only cost $500,000 apiece.

I don’t think most people who are inclined to journey to Africa and risk contracting a hellish disease in order to treat people suffering from that disease, will not be deterred by the possibility of “enduring” a 21-day quarantine upon return. Ninety-nine percent of these volunteers will gladly accept quarantine if it means putting the minds of their fellow countrymen at ease. I think Nurse Hickox is a primadonna with Joan of Arc complex who craves attention. As a caller to a talk show suggested, maybe she hopes to be the next Sandra Fluke.

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